1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to golf clubs. More specifically, the invention is the weight modification of a golf club head by hollowing out a portion of the club head, which may be made of wood, plastic or metal, or other materials, and providing a novel weighted sole plate.
2. Description of Related Art
The related art of interest describes various weight modified golf clubs, but none discloses the present invention. There is a need for a simplified method of determining and selecting the best weight of the club head for certain conditions, distances and for a specific golfer. The related art will be discussed in the order of perceived relevance to the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,274 issued on Aug. 15, 1995, to Truman R. Clay describes a putter adjustable in weight and shaft position comprising a rectangular club head having a rectangular hole on top with a smaller opening on the bottom. The hole is filled on the bottom with a lower part insert having inclined stepped ramps proximate each end to match the stepped overhang ramps of the T-shaped upper part insert. Each insert part has bores for adding weight slugs. The upper part insert has two covers and an inclined bore for the shaft which can be shifted in position by moving the upper insert relative to the lower insert. The grip has a club attitude index. The putter is distinguishable for the required multiple insertion parts and weight slugs.
Gt. Britain Patent Application No. 347,502 published on Apr. 30, 1931, for James G. Gill describes a wooden club head bored through the middle and lined with a metal sleeve which is filled with lead shot separated by a felt pad from a cylindrical block of sponge rubber having another felt pad. The filler material is capped with a slotted and screwed plug. The metal sleeve is anchored by two metal pins driven from the bottom surface at an angle. The metal sole plate is sunk into the bottom surface and fastened by five screws. The weighted club head is distinguishable for its requirement for lead weights, anchor pins, metal liner, and a metal top plug.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,618,149 issued on Oct. 21, 1986, to John M. Maxel describes a golf club having interchangeable face plates to vary the characteristics of a curved bulge from toe to heel, a curved roll from bottom to top and a degree of angular loft. The wood club head is hollowed from the face plate and either a central rib with a cylindrical weight is inserted or a planar weight is added to the rear of the face plate. The golf club is distinguishable for hollowing the club head only from the face plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,730,830 issued on Mar. 15, 1988, to Gordon J. Tilley describes a golf club with a hollow head filled with injected foam from the face plate and covered with a face plate made from woven Kevlar impregnated with an epoxy resin and backed by a carbon fiber layer. A second embodiment requires an array of blind bores formed from the face plate side and filled with weights. The weighted golf clubs are distinguishable for forming the cavity from the face plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,085,934 issued on Apr. 25, 1978, to Roy A. Churchward describes a weighted impact block for adding to the face of a wooden, plastic or nylon club head. The club head has a hollowed out portion on the bottom which is covered by a sole plate fastened with screws to an inlet periphery. On the rear of the sole plate one or two impact blocks having an array of holes receive rod shaped weights. The golf club is distinguishable for its required weight blocks.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,043,563 issued on Aug. 23, 1977, to Roy A. Churchward describes a weighted golf club having a similar impact block with rod shaped weights as in the above patent but placed in a hollowed region from the sole plate. The golf club is distinguishable for its required weight containing impact block.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,230 issued on Jul. 20, 1982, to Roy A. Churchward describes a weighted pitching or sand wedge golf club. The thickened matrix portion of the iron club head has a row of blind bores for inserting rod shaped weights and covering with a cap secured by a fastener. The golf club is distinguishable for its required weights.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,725 issued on Jul. 9, 1996, to Walker Reynolds, Jr. describes a weighted golf putter having a U-shaped club head with spool shaped weights inserted in each end from a top surface and secured by a fastener from the bottom of the putter head. The shaft is secured by a set screw. The golf club is distinguishable for its dual weights.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,664 issued on May 5, 1998, to Walker Reynolds, Jr. describes a weighted golf putter comprising a weighted shaft grip and a substantially rectangular box shaped club head having two spool shaped weights and a third weight inserted between and perpendicular to the spools. The golf putter is distinguishable for its multiple weights in the handle and club head.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
A golf club head made of wooden, plastic, metal, and other suitable materials is modified to decrease its weight by hollowing out the club head and providing replaceable, weighted sole plate(s). The sole plate may be uniformly or variably weighted from club hosel end to toe end, and may include a weight of uniform or non-uniform weight distribution, which is mounted or made a part of the interior of the sole plate, and the weight is placed up against the interior of the club face.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a wooden, plastic or metal golf club having a weight modified club head, provided by an interchangeable sole plate.
It is another object of the invention to provide a wooden, plastic or metal golf club having a club head with a hollowed out portion.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a golf club having a club head with a hollowed portion made during production according to the golfer""s preference, and further providing a modified sole plate, with or without and additional, integral or added weight, fitted in behind the face plate of the club.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a golf club head, modified with a hollowed out interior and fitted with a uniformly weighted or non-uniformly weighted, novel sole plate construction, the sole plate being interchangeable to suit a particular golfer""s needs.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.